[exsailor]

Mention was made on local television about three vessels in trouble in the Ross Sea. The US supply vessel 'American Tern' and a tanker are stuck in the thickest ice for years. The Russian ice-breaker 'Krasim' was chartered to assist, but also fell victim, losing a blade off one of her three propellors. An American firm was hired and has been trying to carry out repairs in minus 2 degree water. At this time, attempts at this have failed. Plans are being made to scale back operations at Scott Base and McMurdo if the situation can not be resolved in the last remaining weeks of the Antarctic summer, due to the possible shortage of wintering-over supplies.

[fred henderson]

The media keep telling us that global warming is melting the polar ice caps and we will all be underwater next week, so your report cannot possibly be true.

Fred

[bsturrell]

More on this at this website

http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/healy/de.../04/update.htm

[kelgels]

I belive that one of the Polar Class was being rushed to Antarctica to help and was due in the ross sea about mid feb?

Both Polar Class are meant to be undergoing a huge overhaul with them to spend 2 years in dry dock, one is already in dry dock and is not expected to come out before November this year.

[dom]

Nuke Em (==d)

[Tassie]

It looked quite nice at Casey Staion today at 1PM although I can't see anyone in swimming, the photo is courtesy of the "Australian Antarctic Devision" webcam at Casey station.
Regards......Bill Burton..Tassie

[exsailor]

Chartered Russian ice-breaker 'Krasim' was repaired and achieved her objective. 'American Tern' and the tanker 'Lawrence H. Gianella' have both unloaded and left the ice, according to the US NSF website.

[flyer682]

M/V AMERICAN TERN was back in Lyttelton on 16 February 2006 and sailed for the USA on the 17th.
The photo below was taken shortly after her arrival.

[exsailor]

Be nice if the media followed up on stories. The original item (I actually missed it) had a reporter on the ice and all the pictures ..... then no more.

[gdynia]

Originally Posted by fred henderson

The media keep telling us that global warming is melting the polar ice caps and we will all be underwater next week, so your report cannot possibly be true.

Fred

Fred I spent 3 winters in a row down there and all this bull**** about Global Warming, melting of the icecaps we did not notice or remarked on by our boffins onboard. From my experience the ice was getting thicker each season and for longer periods and is still the same from mails passing between myself and a Norwegian Captain who has spent more than 20 continous seasons down there.